Künker Spring Auction Sale 419 Earns Millions in Euros
A Brutus portrait denarius, an aureus of Postumus, and more go for thousands at the latest auction.
On 17 March 2025, Künker held its successful “Spring Auction Sale 419,” where 638 selected lots with ancient coins realized a total hammer price of roughly €4 million, which doubled the auction estimate of €2 million.
Here are some of the best-selling lots from the sale:
This aureus shows Caligula on the obverse and his mother, Agrippina the Elder, on the reverse. It was sold for €120,000 or $129,768.00 USD. Agrippina was one of the most influential women of the early Roman Empire. She married Germanicus, and they had nine children, including the future Emperor Caligula. The latter focused on dynastic connections in his coinage, and his mother played a significant role. There are several coin types with her profile, including this aureus from 37/8. Agrippina was exiled in A.D. 29 and starved herself on Pandataria in A.D. 33.
This is probably the most iconic denarius in Roman history. The obverse shows a portrait of Marcus Junius Brutus, and the reverse depicts a liberty cap between two daggers. This coin realized €280,000 or $302,820.00 USD, the highest result of the auction.
This aureus of Postumus was won at the price of €190,000 or $205,466.00 USD. This example offered by Künker is an outstanding specimen. It features Postumus and Heracles on the obverse, with whom the emperor liked to identify himself. The reverse shows Victoria and Felicitas, representing Postumus’ military successes. Coins like this were photographed for auction catalogs as early as the 19th century, which is why this coin’s ownership can reliably be traced back to 1888.
A spectacular result from the Crusader states, this extremely rare lead seal rose went from an estimate of €400 to almost 24 times that amount, €9,500 or $10,272.35 USD. The seal belonged to a short-lived Grand Master of the Order of St John called Geoffroy the Rat.
Find more auction results on the website.
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